Sports

Monday, November 6, 2000

Eagles suffer third overtime loss, 27-21

By JON FULBRIGHT
Staff Writer
PECOS, Nov. 4, 2000 -- Live by the run, die by the pass.

That's the way it's been in overtime for the Pecos Eagles this season, as
for the third time the Eagles couldn't move the ball on the ground in the
extra session, saw a last-chance pass on fourth down fall incomplete, and
then watched their opponent complete a key pass to earn the victory.

This time, it was a spectacular diving catch by Ebert Munoz from a scrambling
Arturo Muniz on a 3rd-and-11 play that went for a 26-yard touchdown and
gave the El Paso Mountain View Lobos a 27-21 win in a showdown for first
place between the teams Friday night at Eagle Stadium.

"I feel like somebody pulled my heart out and stepped on it," said coach
Gary Grubbs, whose team actually fared better after the game was over than
they did on the field. Pecos clinched a playoff berth despite their loss,
when Canutillo downed San Elizario, 9-6, and then found out they may not
have to face defending District 1-4A champ El Paso Parkland in the first
round of the Class 4A playoffs, after the Matadors were upset by El Paso
High on Friday, 17-14.

Still, the game was a disappointment for the Eagles, who rolled up 405 yards
total offense, 343 of that on the ground, only to see it offset by Mountain
View's 389 yards in offense, 345 of that through the air by Muniz, who was
15-for-25 passing on the night.

"We gave them too much time to throw in the second half, and that hurt us,"
said Grubbs. Muniz was forced out of the pocket and was near the left sideline
when he threw the winning pass to Munoz, who made a full-body extension
to catch the ball five yards deep in the end zone.

But most of the time, the Lobo quarterback was able to stay in the pocket
in the second half and find open receivers across the middle. "They just
had a good scheme, and their quarterback did a good job throwing the ball,"
Grubbs said.

What also probably helped Mountain View in overtime was their depth. Coach
Mike Jackson said on Thursday his team only had a couple of two-way starters,
far fewer than Pecos’ group, which included running back/linebacker Daniel
Terrazas.

He had his second 200-yard rushing game of the season, finishing with 25
carries for 217 yards, but playing both ways cost Terrazas a step or two
in overtime. That allowed Mountain View's Abe Mendoza to catch him from
behind on a 3rd-and-5 pitch out from the 20-yard line, turning what looked
to be a first down run into a no-gain. The Eagles then attempted a halfback
option pass on fourth down by Richard Rodriguez, but Mountain View's rush
blew up the play, and Rodriguez' pass fell incomplete.

"That was a big advantage for them," said Grubbs. "We don't have all 11 playing
both ways, but they had the chance to pull all 11 of their off to the sidelines
and give them a rest and make adjustments on defense and offense."

Isaac Anatolia was one of the few two-way players for Mountain View, and
he figured in the game's two most controversial plays at his wide receiver
spot, from where he caught six passes for 179 yards.

On the first, the senior broke free for a 79-yard touchdown pass from Muniz
in the third period, after the Eagles appeared to let up after going offsides
just before the snap. "We made contact on the play, and their quarterback
was bobbing his head, so it should have either been illegal motion or offsides
on us, because we did make contact," Grubbs said.

The second play may have been even bigger, as it came after Pecos had taken
a 21-14 lead on Alex Garcia's six-yard touchdown pass to Trent Riley with
4:39 left in the fourth quarter. Matthew Levario had just missed intercepting
a Muniz pass meant for Munoz with a clear field to the end zone, but the
incompletion still left the Lobos facing a 3rd-and-10 from their own 33
when Muniz went to Andazola near midfield.

He and Rodriguez both went up and appeared to come down with the ball together,
before it came loose and bounced out of bounds. The pass was ruled a 24-yard
completion, and two plays later Muniz found Munoz over the middle for 38
yards after Levario slipped and fell. Two plays after that Muniz went up
the middle for the second time in the game, scoring from the five with 3:08
to play. Jesus Villanueva's extra point made it 21-all.

"There are always plays you can point to in the game that turn the tide, but we just didn’t make those plays," Grubbs said.

Villanueva almost beat Pecos as time expired, going just wide with a 46-yard
field goal attempt after a motion call pushed the kicker five yards back.
Had Munoz not caught the winning TD pass, Villanueva would have had a 43-yard
field goal attempt on fourth down to win it.

Pecos had three scoring chances in the first half, but came up with points
on only one, and missed one other chance inside the Lobos' 40 in the third
period.

The Eagles were driving after the opening kickoff, when Terrazas was hit
and fumbled, with Aaron Garcia recovering at the Lobo 15. Muniz then found
Gilbert Lopez with his first completion of the night, a 15-yarder on a 3rd-and-13,
which began an 85-yard touchdown drive, all but 20 of that through the air.

Pecos came right back on their next series and went 79 yards on 10 plays,
the last a 34-yard quarterback option run by Garcia, who finished with 93
yards on 17 carries. The key play there was a 4th-and-1 run by Terrazas
from Pecos' 28 that netted seven yards and a first down. "They weren't stopping
us for any gains less than a yard," Grubbs said. "We felt like we could
get it and the kids felt like they could get it, and you've got to have
faith in your kids."

The Eagles' defense was able to get to Muniz for sacks on the next two series,
but Pecos missed another chance to score when Omar Luna fumbled a pitch
from Garcia on a 3rd-and-2 at the Mountain View 19. Terrazas recovered the
ball at the 27, but a fourth down scramble by Garcia netted only six yards.

In the second half it was Mountain View that missed a couple of chances.
Andazola nearly broke loose after taking a pass from Muniz early in the
third period, but was stripped of the ball at midfield, with Riley recovering.
Terrazas then broke free for a 31-yard gain two plays later, and that set
up Garcia's second score, on a 1-yard quarterback sneak.

The second Lobo chance came after a failed Pecos gamble, when Garcia was
stopped on a quarterback sneak on 4th-and-1 from the Eagle 38. Muniz got
the ball down to the 25, but then tried to hit Munoz in triple coverage
and was picked off by Rodriguez at the Pecos 13. On the next play Terrazas
got around left end for a 69-yard gain, then picked up another seven on
a 4th-and-5 play at the Mountain View 14, which set up Garcia's TD pass
to Riley, a floater he caught at the two and then bulled his way over Aaron
Garcia and into the end zone.

Three of Pecos' four losses this season have come in overtime, and the Eagles
are now 1-3 all-time in overtime games. They fell to 5-4 on the season and
3-1 in district, and can clinch the No. 1 seed out of District 2-4A with
a win next Friday at San Elizario. Mountain View improved to 6-3 on the
season and 4-0 in district, and can clinch the 2-4A title with a win in
their final game over Fabens.

The Wildcats held off Clint on Friday, 27-17, as Vicente Macias ran for 365
yards to bring his total to 1,995 yards for the season. Fabens will be hoping
for a win and a Pecos loss next week to get the No. 1 seed in the Class
4A small school playoffs, and avoid a likely matchup against current 1-4A
leader El Paso Riverside (4-0), while Mountain View is locked in as the
Class 4A big school representative from the district, and will face either
El Paso Ysleta (currently 3-1 in district) or Riverside in the playoffs.